Frequently Asked Questions About the BTTI

Please review the following commonly asked questions about the Behavior Therapy Training Institute (BTTI). If your question is not answered below, you can email training@iocdf.org or call the office at 617-973-5801.

Eligibility 

Who can attend the BTTI?

The BTTI is open to any independently licensed mental health professional that practices psychotherapy.  Students, trainees, and those who require supervision are not eligible to attend the BTTI until they are fully, independently licensed in their field.  No prior experience of working with OCD and related disorders in your practice is required.

Do I have to be a member of the IOCDF to attend the BTTI?

You do not have to be a member with the IOCDF to get on the BTTI Interest List nor to be eligible to register for the BTTI.  Once you are accepted into a training, you must become a professional member with the IOCDF, which costs $$150 annually, if you are not a member already.

Which training should I attend?

  • The General BTTI is best suited for those who work with all ages, though the main focus of the curriculum is on working with older teens and adults. The general BTTI is geared towards those who are new to treating OCD and related disorders, as well as those who have been treating OCD and related disorders for a while but would like to improve upon their skills.
  • The Pediatric BTTI is best suited for those who work mainly with pediatric populations (those aged 18 and younger). The Pediatric BTTI is geared towards those who are new to treating OCD and related disorders in kids and teens, as well as those who have been treating OCD and related disorders for a while but would like to improve upon their skills.
  • The Advanced Training Forum is only open to those who have completed a BTTI, and is geared towards those who are more advanced in working with OCD and related disorders. 

Are there any pre-requisites for attending a BTTI?

There are no pre-requisites for attending the general or pediatric BTTIs. The Advanced Training Forum requires all attendees to have previously attended a BTTI.

Registration Process

How much does the BTTI cost?

The cost of registration is $650 for each BTTI training.  This fee includes the cost of continuing education credits for all BTTIs, and follow-up consultation calls for the General and Pediatric BTTIs.  All registered BTTI attendees must have a current professional membership with the IOCDF, which may involve an additional $150 membership fee if they do not have one already.

Are continuing education credits offered?

Yes, continuing education credits are offered for psychologists, social workers, counselors, and California-based marriage and family therapists.

A live BTTI will be accredited for 21 hours and a virtual BTTI for 20 hours.

  • This program has been approved by the National Board for Certified Counselors.
  • This is approved by the National Association of Social Workers for Social Work continuing education contact hours.
  • The IOCDF is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. This program is sponsored by the International OCD Foundation, Inc. (IOCDF) and the IOCDF maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

Continuing education credits are included in the price of registration, which includes a CE certificate provided shortly after the training.

How can I register for a BTTI?

In order to be notified about when we will be opening registration for these trainings, as well as to receive the registration materials the day we open, please complete the BTTI Interest Survey and select the region(s)/specialties for which you are interested in attending a BTTI.  As you complete this survey, please make sure you thoughtfully select your regions/specialties – when we send information about registration, it only goes to those on the interest list for that specific training.

Our BTTI’s tend to sell out very quickly — some in less than 4 minutes!  Those on our interest list get the first opportunity to register. Registration for the BTTI is on a first-come, first-served basis. Once you complete the BTTI Interest Survey, you can expect to receive email alerts when we plan to open a training in a location/specialty that you selected.

The current waitlist for the BTTI is several years. If you sign up today, you can expect to be invited to attend a BTTI after 3 years.

What information, materials, etc. do I need in order to register for the BTTI?

To successfully register for the BTTI, you will need the following:

  • An electronic copy of your current professional license. Acceptable formats are JPEG, PDF, and PNG, and file size must not exceed 10MB. If you do not have access to a scanner, you can take a photo of your license with your iphone or other high-resolution camera phone and send that, as long as the information is legible.
  • A credit card for your registration fee (we no longer accept payment via check).

What is the refund policy regarding BTTI registration fees?

As a core part of the IOCDF mission to make effective OCD treatment accessible to as many people in the OCD community as possible, we work hard to keep BTTI registration costs low to ensure the training remains affordable and accessible to mental health professionals. Each BTTI session is actually run at a fiscal loss to the IOCDF, with donations subsidizing the difference between registration fees and total costs. The Cancellation and Refund Policy exists to help protect the IOCDF from any further losses.

Cancellations are allowed ONLY within 24-hours after registration. We acknowledge that travel expenses can change rapidly, and the IOCDF will allow cancellations within 24-hours of BTTI registration if you are unable to find reasonable flight/travel accommodations after registering.  However, BTTI registrants who cancel their registration within 24-hours will not be able to re-register for that particular BTTI session should their circumstances change.

After the 24-hour grace period has passed, NO REFUNDS will be granted under any circumstances.  There will be no exceptions for medical, travel, or professional emergencies.

This Cancellation and Refund Policy was implemented in response to significant logistical and administrative costs, both time and monetary. Though we sometimes generate a waitlist for these training slots, potential attendees quickly make alternate arrangements, and attempting to re-fill the training is not always successful (again incurring further financial losses).

This policy is similar to those published for trainings by other organizations.  Please join us in our attempt to keep BTTI registration fees as low as possible for future years by being thoughtful about the intent and purpose of this policy.

If you have any questions or concerns about this policy, please feel free to reach out to IOCDF at training@iocdf.org.

BTTI Schedule/Curriculum

What is the general schedule/curriculum for the BTTI?

Here are the example schedules of the General BTTI and Pediatric BTTI. Once accepted for the BTTI, you will receive a detailed schedule of your session’s training agenda.

Who Makes Up the BTTI Faculty?

The faculty of each BTTI is made up of some of the most experienced and well-respected OCD therapists in North America, most of them being members of the IOCDF’s Scientific Advisory Board.  BTTI faculty vary by region and by training.  C. Alec Pollard, PhD is the clinical director of the General BTTI and the Advanced Training Forum; Eric Storch, PhD is the clinical director of the Pediatric BTTI.

Training Case

What preparation will I need prior to attending a BTTI? 

For each type of BTTI, attendees will be required to bring a training case to present during the Sunday breakout groups.  The only requirements for the case are that they meet the DSM V diagnostic criteria for OCD (for the General and Pediatric BTTIs).  We will provide access to various assessment tools and worksheets that may be helpful to you as you work with your case.

Each BTTI attendee will also be required to read a book chosen from our recommended BTTI reading lists, which vary based on type of BTTI.  More information about this will be provided once you are registered for a training.

How can I find a training case if I do not have one already?

If you do not already work with a patient who meets the DSM-V criteria for OCD, you can consider listing your services in our Resource Directory to get specific referrals.  The Resource Directory can also be helpful to you to find colleagues, support groups, clinics, or affiliates in your area to let them know you are looking for an OCD training case to work with.  Offering to do the case pro-bono may be helpful as well, if you are able to do so.

Follow-up Calls

What happens after the training weekend?

After attending the program, you may go to one to three more group consultations that will be arranged during the last day of the training. After completing these, you can request that the faculty member send a confirmation of your attendance to training@iocdf.org. At that time, we will issue you a certificate of completion and you can have the appropriate BTTI credential listed on your professional listing (a benefit of a Professional Membership with the IOCDF)

Sponsorship

Learn more about sponsoring a BTTI or hosting one in your area! Download the BTTI prospectus here.